(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for preparing N-t-alkyl-1,2-diacylhydrazines by reacting a 1,3,4-oxadiazole, preferably a 2,5-diaryl-1,3,4-oxadiazole, with a tertiary alkyl cation precursor in the presence of a strong acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid.
The N-t-alkyl-1,2-diacylhydrazines, particularly aromatic, heterocyclic or alkyl substituted N-t-alkyl-1,2-diacylhydrazines, are known to have insecticidal activity against Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. The process of the present invention provides an economic method of producing the desired N-t-alkyl-1,2-diacylhydrazines from inexpensive and readily available starting materials.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Hasegawa et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,600 discloses a process for the preparation of tertiary butyl hydrazine by the direct reaction of t-butanol with a hydrazine salt of a hydrohalogenic acid in the presence of a hydrazine dihydrohalogenide or a hydrogen halide. They considered their reaction to be an improvement over the process of reacting a hydrazine salt of a hydrohalogenic acid with a tertiary butyl halide to obtain a tertiary butyl hydrazine hydrohalogenide and forming the tertiary butyl hydrazine from the tertiary butyl hydrazine hydrohalogenide as disclosed in Hojo et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,696.
Iwakura et al, 6 J. Polymer SCI.A-1 3381-3393 (1968), entitled "Polyhydrazides. III. N-Methylated Polyhydrazides by Ring-Opening of Poly-p-phenylene-1,3,4-oxadiazole" discloses a ring-opening methylation reaction of 1,3,4-oxadiazole in fuming sulfuric acid or polyphosphoric acid. At pages 3382 and 3383, they discuss ring-opening reactions of 1,3,4-oxadiazole. In the first reaction 2,5-bis-p-nitrophenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole was reacted with dimethyl sulfate in oleum. In the second example 1,3,4-oxadiazole was reacted with trimethyl phosphate in polyphosphoric acid.
The Iwakura reaction and the present process proceed by two distinctly different mechanisms. The Iwakura reaction is a second order nucleophilic substitution (S.sub.N 2). The presently claimed reaction is a first order nucleophilic substitution (S.sub.N 1).
Further, under the conditions of the Iwakura reaction, the desired N-t-alkyl-1,2-diacylhydrazines are not stable. If the acid anhydride is in excess, as the oleum or polyphosphoric acid in Iwakura, the desired N-t-alkylhydrazine loses the t-alkyl group and cyclizes to the oxadiazole.